Amusement device



Feb. 11, 1947.-

.G. R. LANMAN AMUSEMENT DEVICE Fil e d' MaIfOh 8, 1944 I N VEN TOR.

WITNESSES:

ATI'YIZIRNEYB Patented Feb. 11, 1947 "UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE AMUSEMENT DEVICE Guy R. Lanman, ,ELBeno, Okla.

Application March 8, 1944, Serial No. 525,586

as-well'as to prevent theends of the board from contacting or hitting the ground, thus it will be seen that the board is equally balanced relative to its supporhat all times, and danger of injury to the legs and feet of-the rider on the downiend of the board and/or the rider on the upper end thereof, being thrown from the board, is reduced to a minimun1,-due to the elimination of the sudden -jar brought-about by boards now in general use l'itting the ground, therefore my device is extremely safe for'useby small children, yet will produce much amusement and fun.

A further object is to provide a. teeter :board amusement device that is simple in construction,

inexpensive to manufacture and extremely efficient in operation, use and service.

ihis invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the severalparts, to'be'herematter iully clescri'bed, illustrated in the accompanyin-g drawing and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be 'hadto the accompanying "drawing wherein like characters denote like or corresponding- Figure 5 is a fragmentary bottom plan view.

Figure 6 is a perspective "view of the board attaching and rocking ,frame, looking toward the top thereof.

Figure is a perspective view of the axle or fixed bearing for the frame.

Referring to the drawing in detail, it will be noted that my device in the form shown includes a pair of spaced parallel tubular uprights or standards i that are suitably anchored in the ground, as shown in Figure 1, and removably and fittin gly mounted in the upper ends of the uprights, are depending nipples 2 that are formed on caps 3, the latter each being provided with an upper arcuate seat 4. The seatsopen toward each other, andthe outer ends thereof are closed by walls 5 having inclined outer faces, and the nipples are formed on the caps in a manner to provide-abutment shouldersthat rest upon the upper ends of the uprights, asclearly shown in Figure 2.

Bridging the capsand mounted in the seats 4 isa tubular axle-6 that is fixed to the caps by bolt and nut connections 7, the bolts extending through blocks 8, the axle and the bottom walls of the cap, and the blocks are mounted within and at the ends of the axle, as well as are provided with lower faces shaped to follow the transverse curvature of the axle, as best shown in Figures 3 and i. Fixed to the under faces of the axle is a pair of spaced arcuate strips 9 having bumper blocks 15 formed on the upper ends thereof for a purpose which will be later described, and the blocks have upper faces that are inclined downwardly from their juncture with the axle. Each block has a hole in the upper face thereof and removably mounted in the hole is a stud II that is formed or otherwise secured to the bottom of a shim i2. Shims of various thicknesses may be used to vary the height of the bumper elements, as will be apparent upon inspection of Figure 4.

The board or beam is'indicated by the reference numeral I3 and is of the usual fiat elongated formation. Fixed by bolt and nut connections to the under side of the board for disposal midway the ends thereof is an open rec- 'tang llar frame 14 that has webs l5 formed on and depending from the side members Hi thereof, and formed on and bridging the webs is a .semicylindrical'bearing l1 that fits and is mounted on the axle 6 for rocking movement of the board.

The bearing IT! is held on the axle by semicircular bearing bands I8 having ears formed on the ends thereof, and the ears are secured to the fiat under faces of the webs by bolts l9.

,Formed on and extending laterally from the bearing I? for disposal flush with the longitudinal dges thereof, are two pair of diametrically op- .posed lugs 28, and the abutment or bumper elements that are fixed to the axle are arranged in the path oflthelugs 20 to limit rocking movement of the board. The board .is of ,a length relative to the height of the uprights, so that the ends thereof will not contact or hit the ground.

A housing of sheet metal or the like is disposed about the frame and axle, and the housing includes a semi-cylindrical wall 2! having outwardly directed fianges 22 formed on the longitudinal edges thereof, the flanges being fixed to the board upon opposite ends of the frame, and the housing also includes side walls 23 having openings therein through which project the ends of the axle. It will be obvious that the housing not only protects the parts against dirt and dust, 1

but provides a guard to prevent children from getting their fingers caught between the parts and particularly the abutting elements.

From the above description and disclosure of the drawing, it will be obvious that my device is extremely safe for small children, in that the board is not only held for rockin movement in a fixed path against casual removal or displacement relative to the axle, but injury to the feet and legs of the rider or the latter being thrown from the board is practically eliminated, and which frequently happens by the use of teeter boards of the type now in general use, as a result of a sudden jar brought about by the ends of the latter boards hitting the ground.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An amusement device comprising upright supporting means, an axle secured to the upper end of the supporting means, a fiat elongated board, a frame fixed to the under side of the board midway its ends, an elongated bearing secured to and bridging the frame and mounted on the axle for rocking movement of the board, lugs formed on said bearing, abutment means having stud receiving openings therein secured to the axle, removable shims having studs formed integral therewith adapted to be received in said stud receiving openings, said shims being disposed in the path of the lugs to limit rocking movement of the board, and the latter being of such a length relative to the height of the supporting means and the angle of the abutment means to the horizontal being such as to prevent the ends of the board'from contacting the ground.

2. An amusement device comprising a pair of spaced parallel tubular uprights having their lower ends anchored, a cap mounted on the upper end of each upright and formed with an arcuate seat, a wall closing the outer side of the seat and the inner sides of the seats-being open and directed toward each other, an axle secured in said seats and bridging the same, a flat elongated board, a frame fixed to the under side of the board midway its ends, an elongated bearing secured to and bridging the frame and mounted on the axle for rocking movement of the board, lugs formed on said bearing and extendin from diametrically opposite sides thereof, abutment ,means secured to the axle and including blockshaving upper faces inclined downwardly from the axle, the upper faces of said blocks having stud receiving openings thereirnthe studreceivingopenings of said faces adapted to receive studs formed integral with removable shims,

said shims being disposed in the path of the lugs to limit rocking movement of the board, and the latter being of such a length relative to the height of the uprights and the angle of the abutment means to the horizontal being such as to prevent the ends of the,board from contacting the ground.

3. An amusement device comprising a pair of spaced parallel tubular uprights having their lower ends anchored, a cap for each upright and including a depending nipple mounted in the upper end thereof, an arcuate seat in the top of the cap, a wall closing the outer side of the seat and the inner sides of the seat bein open and directed toward each other, a tubular axle fixed in said seats and bridging the same, a flat elongated board, a rectangular frame fixed to the under side of the board midway it ends, a semicylindrical bearing secured to and bridging the frame and mounted on the axle for rocking movement of the board, lugs formed on said bearing and extending laterally therefrom, abutment means having stud receiving openings therein secured to the axle, removable shims having studs formed integral therewith, said studs adapted to be received in said stud receiving openings, said shims being disposed in the path of the lugs to limit rocking movement of the board, and the latter being of such a length relative to the height of the uprights, and the angle of the abutment means to the horizontal being such as to prevent the ends of the board from contacting the ground.

4. An amusement device comprising a pair of spaced parallel tubular uprights having their lower ends anchored, a cap mounted on the upper end of each upright and formed with an arcuate seat, a tubular axle mounted in the seats and fixed to the caps in bridging relation thereto, a fiat elongated board, a rectangular frame fixed to the under side of the board midway its ends, webs formed on and depending from the side members of the frame, a semi-cylindrical bearing fixed to the webs and bridging the same and ,mounted on the axle for rocking movement of the board, diametrically opposed lugs formed on said bearing, abutment means including strips fixed to the under side of the axle, blocks having stud receiving openings therein secured to the ends of the strips, removable shims having studs formed integral therewith, said studs being re- -ceived in said stud openings of the blocks for ing the ground.

' GUY R. LANMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 984,474 Dann Feb. 14, 1911 403,772 Old May 21, 1889 1,273,591 ,Elzey July 23, 1918 1,550,040 Nagy Aug. 18, 1925 Thompson Jan. 1'7, 1939 

